25/07/2026
Attending ESHRE 2026 in London was a stretch for me—as an Australian solo mum by choice and founder of NEST Coaching Club, supporting women and LGBTQIA+ people through fertility treatment, travelling halfway around the world (with my daughter who had to stay with friends in London) was no small thing.
It was worth it.
The developments I welcomed most were the Society's position paper on donor family limits and The Big Donor Conception Survey. Together, they acknowledge what many donor-conceived families have been saying for years: that uncertainty around donor sibling numbers and family limits has lifelong implications and deserves far greater transparency.
I was encouraged by the increasing focus on improving male fertility diagnostics which will reduce unnecessary treatment for women as well as improving success rates, and pleased to join the International Reproductive Health Education Collaboration (IRHEC) session, where I hope to contribute in the future - as someone who experienced infertility and regret, I’m keen to use my lived and health research translation experience in useful ways.
Some of the most thought-provoking work explored digital fertility advertising, AI relationships and techno-intimacy, and the impact of marketing AMH testing for uses beyond the evidence. As our lives are increasingly lived online, this research highlights ethical issues and social needs.
The science continues to advance, and so does our understanding of what good fertility care looks like. At its best, it combines evidence-based treatment with ethical practice, clear communication and compassionate support for the people experiencing it.
And a heartfelt thank you to Monique Shaw for providing such a warm and welcoming home for my daughter while I attended. It made this opportunity possible.
